While it is true that universities are meant to provide education and prepare students for the real world, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you learn everything there. They don’t often teach you how to use online resources, such as cover letter templates or sample resumes. They don’t teach you how and where to apply for jobs. They also don’t teach you how to budget your salary and pay taxes. These things are some of the most fundamental and essential knowledge that everyone should know about. In this article, we are going to talk about some very important things about the real world that you don’t usually hear in university lectures. With this, you can hopefully get a head start to take the initiative in learning more about these things yourself.

Employment documents

One of the most obvious career paths that students take after graduating is getting employed. After all, it is a relatively safe option as it provides you with a stable and secure income for buying your needs and paying off your debts. Employers often require various documents during the job application process. While it may vary from one company to the other, the general requirements include a resume, cover letter, and some form of identification. In order to prevent cramming and having to rush the submission of your documents, it would be wise to have them prepared as early as you can. You could even create a mock-up version of these documents while you are still studying and update it regularly for any changes. 

Online resources

In relation to the documents that you have to prepare, you don’t even have to create everything from scratch. There are plenty of online resources that provide you with references and samples to make the process a lot easier and a lot faster. Be sure to maximize these resources and use them actively.

How and where to apply for jobs

The job search process begins with you having to browse and look for job opportunities. In modern times, this is usually done through job search applications and websites. Here, various employers offer different jobs and job positions to the general public. If you find a relevant job opportunity, you may submit your application, along with the pertinent documents and other requirements. If you are selected, employers will provide you with further instructions on how and when to get started. You could also look for jobs through the traditional method of looking for posters outside offices or voluntarily asking companies for job vacancies. Although this method is obviously more tedious and time-consuming, some companies do not offer jobs online and so it might be worth a shot to apply for jobs on-site. Regardless of what method you use, whether traditional or modern, be sure to prepare all your employment documents ahead of time so as to avoid wasting time and effort.

How to budget your salary

Receiving your employment salary for the first time may be overwhelming for some people. As such, they do not know how to allocate their funds and it might cause them to overspend. This is where budgeting comes in. Typically, you would want to allocate your salary through percentages. A common example would be to set aside 20% for savings, 30% for wants, and 50% for your needs. By strictly following your budget, you make sure that you have enough funds for your daily activities and you also prepare yourself in case something goes wrong.

Taxes

You don’t usually hear about the concept of taxation while you’re still in school. This is why most fresh graduates are oblivious about taxes and are caught off-guard when the time comes that they have to pay. Taxes are essentially a portion of your income that the government collects for various public service purposes. Taxes are mandatory and so it is unavoidable. Thus, in creating your budget, be sure to include taxes in your computations.